Answers Bible Curriculum Year 3 Quarter 4 Lesson 1
This week in Sunday school, we look at Paul’s first missionary journey to the Gentiles. Where precisely did Paul and Barnabas go? What did they do? What were the results? And what do these happenings show us about God and our own necessary attitude toward the worldwide gospel mission?
Our main text is Acts 13:1-14:28.
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Sunday school curriculum that we began maybe about four years ago now we are coming to the conclusion our last quarter theme is called living as Christians this is what we’re gonna be looking at this quarter these are our lessons we first finish up the book of Acts my tracing Paul’s various journeys and his missionary work on behalf of Christ but then sample the various letters of the New Testament and some of the core teachings we see there we then finish our study by looking at the New Testament teaching regarding Christ’s return especially in the book of Revelation it’s fitting that our study should end with a study of the last things given by revelation regarding the last things of history and the summing up of all things in Christ but today we begin our study of a bit for this final quarter with the first missionary journey of Paul and acts 13 to 14 well really going to be looking at is the Great Commission in action as we go through this lesson today I want you to keep two overarching questions in mind first how did Paul seek to fulfill his part in the Great Commission and then second what is your own role in fulfilling the Great Commission because remember the Great Commission is for all of us not just the apostles let’s pray before we continue onboarding God thank you that you’ve given us this word that you’ve revealed it to us pay the people be encouraged inspired emboldened convicted or that we might be faithful to the Commission you’ve given to us as well and Jesus name Amen please open your Bibles to Acts chapter 13 and as you’re turning there let me remind you of the background and context to this chapter Acts chapter 13 recall not too long ago we looked at the conversion of Saul in Acts chapter 9 we read how Saul turned from a persecutor in fact the persecutor of Jesus’s Church to a preacher a zealous preacher speaking on behalf of Christ Paul saw it this time he went to Damascus was converted there then went down to Jerusalem and then from there he went back to Tarsus in Cilicia remember Seleucia that would be Southeast Asia Minor and that’s where last we saw him this conversion took place probably about two years after Jesus’s crucifixion and so if Jesus was crucified around eighty thirty then Saul’s conversion would be around ad 32 now it’s a little bit more about timing as we go through the lesson today but different details we have in the New Testament help us come up with some estimates as to when these things took place some people changed the years by a year or two or three and so they might say the Saul’s conversion took place around eighty thirty five but we’re going with the timeline that puts it in so Saul’s converted and then in Acts chapter 10 another thing that we saw is that the gospel is given to the Gentiles and also the Holy Spirit and where Peter has its visit with Cornelius Cornelius and his household are saved and the Holy Spirit comes upon them visibly upon Gentiles who would not even receive circumcision showing that salvation is by faith to all and not requiring ritual a ritual adherence to Jewish law there’s some other events that took place and Acts 11 and 12 that we didn’t cover but that you should know about as we go into this lesson today for instance in acts 11 verse 20 some of the Jews some of the Jewish Christians who have been scattered from Jerusalem from Saul’s persecution they made their way to Antioch Antioch was a city a major city in Syria a little bit inland from the coast and these people were originally from Cyprus and from Cyrene and they preached the gospel there not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles and many Gentiles in Antioch believed and turn to the Lord and the harvest was so great that the Church of Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to lead and teach the new believers there some time after arriving barnabas decides he wants to bring Saul into the ministry at Antioch and he goes to Tarsus in Cilicia find salt and brings him back to Antioch and then the two of them Barnabas and Saul they’re teaching in Antioch for for a year and they also bring an offering to Jerusalem to give some relief to the Christians who are suffering famine there I say the word Christian but it’s actually an acts 11 verse 26 that that term first appears in the Bible we hear that Christians were first called Christians at Antioch Antioch in Syria by the way Christian would mean something like one associated with Christ or a Christ partisan someone who’s on the side of Christ so that is in acts 11 Acts chapter 12 a few more things to know first James the son of Zebedee is martyred the first apostle to be killed he is put to death by and a ruler in Judea by the name of Herod this would be the grandson of Herod the Great Peter is also arrested and imprisoned and he’s about to be put to death but God miraculously frees Peter from prison Peter escapes he goes to Jerusalem and then disappears book of Acts doesn’t tell us where he went and we’re actually not going to see Peter anymore in the book of Acts accepted the Jerusalem Council a focus is switching from Peter and it’s gonna focus now on Paul in acts 1225 this is right before our passage begins Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem and they bring with them another believer a disciple named John there’s also called mark and this would be the market wrote the Gospel of Mark now you may know that Barnabas and Mark have a connection what’s the connection according to Colossians chapter 4 verse 10 Barnabas and Mark are cousins and it mentions there that he’s his cousin so he brings his cousin back with him to Antioch with Saul and they’re there again that brings us to Acts chapter 13 verse 1 where we’re going to start reading so follow along with me we’re just going to be the first three verses and then I’ll tell you what we’re gonna do to break down the rest of the passage so acts 13 verses 1 to 3 now there were at Antioch in the church that was their prophets and teachers Barnabas and Simeon who was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch and Saul well they were ministering to the Lord and fasting the Holy Spirit said set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them then when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away briefly now observe briefly this short section Barnabas we first of all learned that Barnabas and saw not the only teachers in Antioch not the only leaders but as these leaders are serving the Lord and fasting the Holy Spirit gives a command to set aside Saul and Barnabas for a special work and an urgent work there’s an interesting particle in the original Greek that is hard to translate and doesn’t come through in an English translation but this particle it conveys the idea of urgency set aside immediately set apart now Saul and Barnabas for the work that I have commanded them the leaders of bang but they fast they pray and they lay hands on the two men before sending them off now to what work are they set apart the rest of Acts 13 and 14 is going to tell us and we know this special work this special journey as Paul’s first missionary journey when’s this taking place Sippi around AD 47 so some considerable time after Saul conversion if saw was converted around 32 he spends three years in Arabia and then or so that would be around 35 that bring us to around 35 he then tells us in Galatians that it was 14 years after his conversion that he goes up to Jerusalem for the daru-salam council over 14 years after he first went up to Jerusalem that be around AD 50 so this first missionary journey would have to take place before the Jerusalem Council and indeed maybe shortly before so that’s why we would say this takes place around the mid 40s ad even ad 47 now we’re gonna trace this journey we’re gonna follow Saul and Barnabas soon-to-be Paul and Barnabas as they go on this journey but it’s a lot of text so we’re not gonna be able to observe everything that we could in these passages I instead want to focus on three three specific questions first where do they go where did this where do Paul Barnabas go what do they do there secondly and then third what are the results so we’re gonna follow their journey and we’re going to look to answer each one of those questions as they move along okay let’s start with their first stop acts 13 verses 4 & 5 we’re going to take it section by section here look the next two verses so being sent out by the Holy Spirit they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus when they reach Salamis they began to proclaim the Word of God and the synagogue’s of the Jews and they also had John as their helper okay so where’s the team’s first missions stop it is the city of Salamis in Cyprus now Cyprus you can see on your display there as an island it’s one of the larger islands in the Mediterranean this one in the eastern Mediterranean off the coast of Syria and happening mostly by Greeks at this time though the missionaries have a special connection to Cyprus we learn in Acts chapter for verse 36 that Barnabas is actually from Cyprus and so they come to Cyprus and they enter the city of Salamis which is the eastern urged as the city on the eastern coast of Cyprus and the chief port of the island so they go to Cyprus they go to the city of sounds what do they do there they proclaim the Word of God in the Jewish synagogue and notice John Mark also is helping them what’s the result well we don’t know nothing is said about the results here but this is their first stop and we see what they do but they the group eventually moves on this team of three let’s look at their next stop acts 13 verses 6 to 12 follow along with me when they had gone through the whole island as far as paphos they found a magician a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bard Jesus who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus a man of intelligence this man summoned Barnabas and saw and sought to hear the word of God but aliveness the magician for so his name is translated was opposing them seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith the saw who was also known as Paul filled with the Holy Spirit fixed his gaze on him and said you who are full of all deceit and fraud you son of the devil you enemy of all righteousness will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord now behold the hand of the Lord is upon you you will be blind and not see the Sun for a time and immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand and the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened being amazed at the teaching of the Lord all right so the team missions team travels through the island of Cyprus and notice where they stop city called pathos so they’re still on Cyprus but pathos would be the capital city of Cyprus a city on the southwest coast the center of administration so they’ve the team is basically gone from once a cypress to the other now they may have been simply traveling but I’m inclined to think that they’ve been preaching along the way since they are sent for when they come to pathos to hear the Gospel message and who’s who’s sending for them the governor Sergius Paulus I mentioned something about him before but you can just tell by his name his palace a Jew or a Gentile he’s clearly a Gentile that’s a Roman name this is not a Jew and this is the first time that we have recorded in Scripture as Saul is sharing the gospel with a Gentile and what change now occurs in the text dream that’s right Saul who was also called Paul you may have me making a point about this before he’s called Paul when he starts speaking to Gentiles Paul being a Roman name and someone at equivalent to Saul and he goes by Paul for basically the rest of the book of Acts so they come to pathos and Paul and Barnabas look to share the gospel with Sergius Paulus who sent for them but they have to deal with opposition they have to confront Barr Jesus also called a limas a magician or sorcerer who’s opposing them in trying to prevent the proconsuls belief so they’re sharing the gospel with the governor but also confronting this magician now what’s the results well the magician is blinded and humiliated supernaturally and Sergius Paulus he believes I know it’s not an amazing then of all people a Roman governor is eager to hear the message about Jesus and then believes it at the beginning of the book of Acts when these Jewish Christians were gathered in Jerusalem could they have ever thought the Roman governor or Cyprus would want to hear the gospel and would believe it and yet this is exactly what happened now is the trip over hardly it’s only just begun let’s see the next stop for salt or now Paul Paul and Barnabus and this next stop is gonna require a lengthier bit of text look at acts 13 verse 13 to 52 this is all going to be a description of their next stop and we’ll read about it so starting at verse 13 now now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Paragon in Pamphylia but John left them and returned to Jerusalem but going on from purga they arrived at pacinian Antioch on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down after the reading of the law and the prophets the synagogue officials sent to them saying brethren if you have any word of exhortation for the people saved Paul stood up and motioning with his hand said men of Israel and you who fear God listen the god of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt and with an uplifted arm he led them out from it for a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan he distributed their land as an inheritance which took about four hundred and fifty years after these things it gave them judges until Samuel the Prophet then they asked for a king and God gave them saw the son of Kish a man of the tribe of Benjamin for forty years after he had removed him he raised up David to be their King concerning whom he also testified and said I found David the son of Jesse a man after my heart who will do all my will from the descendants of this man according to promise God has brought to Israel a savior jesus after John had proclaimed before his coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel and while John was completing his course he kept saying what do you suppose that I am I am NOT he but behold one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie brethren sons of Abraham’s family and those among you who fear God to us the message of this salvation has been sent for those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers recognizing neither him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath fulfilled these by condemning him and though they found no ground for putting him to death they asked Pilate that he be executed when they had carried out all that was written concerning him they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb but God raised him from the dead and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem their very ones who are now witnesses to the people and we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the father’s that God has fulfilled this promise to our children and that he raised up Jesus as it is also written in the second Psalm you are my son today I have begotten to you as for the fact that he raised him from the dead raised him up from the dead no longer to return to decay you spoken in this way how do you give you the wholly ensure blessings of David therefore he also says in another song you will not allow your holy one to undergo decay for David after he had served the purposes purpose of God in his own generation fell asleep and was laid among his father’s and under what decay but he whom God raised did not undergo decay therefore let it be known to you brethren that through him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you and through him everyone who believes is freed from all things from which you could not be freed through the law of Moses therefore take heed so the things spoken of in the prophets may not come upon you behold you scoffers and marvel and perish drime accomplishing a work in your days at work which you will never believe that someone should describe it to you as Paul and Barnabas were going out the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up many of the Jews and of the god-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas who speaking to them urging them to continue in the grace of God the next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord but when the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul and were blaspheming Paul Barnabas spoke out boldly and said it was necessary that the Word of God be spoken to you first since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life behold we are turning to the Gentiles or so the Lord has commanded us I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the end of the year when the Gentiles heard this they began rejoicing glorifying the word of the Lord as many had been appointed to eternal life believe and the word of the Lord is being spread to the whole region but the Jews the Jews inside of the devout women of prominence and the leading men in the city and instigated instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district but they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium and the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit alright that was a long section board just kind of break down kind of overview fashion where’s the team’s next site of ministry it is a city known as pacinian Antioch now notice that there are two antiox in the Bible we have Antioch on the Syrian coast where Paul Barnabas started their journey and then we have this pacinian Antioch in the Anatolian Highlands Anatolia is another another name for what we call Turkey today that that area and chalk is in the the highlands of Anatolia part of an inland region known as Galatia and you’ve heard of Galatia one of the books of the Bible mention are named after that Asia Minor settled by various peoples at this time especially Greeks on the coast and the western part of Asia Minor but the region of Galatia interestingly features a large population of barbarians from Central Europe who migrated into the area a few centuries were this journey from Paul and Barnabus these Celtic barbarians were also called Gauls hence the name of their region in which they settled Galatia or Galatia over time these goals became Hellenized that is they adopted the Greek language and Greek culture and that’s the kind of people that they are when Paul and Barnabas find them so the city in Antioch is the the city and Antioch and Galatia is the next stop notice though that when Paul and Barnabas hit the the coast of Anatolia they lost something and they lost John mark he leaves why did mine and Mark leave we don’t know Bob doesn’t tell us it says he went back to Jerusalem though once they reached Perrigo a major city a little inland from the turkey coast as we’ll see later on though Paul calls this leaving a desertion so whatever marks reason was Paul did not think it was a very good reason but they go to the city in Antioch and what do they do there notice they preached the gospel and they start in the synagogue now it’s kind of amazing the way it’s reported in the text they’re actually invited to speak whenever a word of exhortation they have I mean talk about a gospel opportunity from God and Paul preaches a sermon and think about the sermon does it remind you of anything that we’ve seen earlier in the book of Acts should sound a lot like what a little bit like Stephens sermon yeah for sure uh Stephen was a little bit more on confrontational there’s a lot of review of Jewish history but this is especially similar to the sermons that Peter was giving earlier in the book of acts like acts 2 and acts 3 and for the message corresponds or the message is very similar reference to the prophets allusions the Old Testament are quotations in the Old Testament and the excitation to believe the fulfillment of God’s plan spoken through their prophets they preach the gospel in the synagogues and they exhort those who believe and they’re getting ready to speak again the next Sabbath in the synagogue and what’s the results of this this first occasion in ministry well the first Sabbath many people believed and began following Paul and Barnabas they even begged the pair to speak again in the synagogue the next Sabbath I mean you couldn’t have asked for a better outcome in terms of that initial sermon the whole city practically Jew and Gentile gathers to hear the message the next Sabbath but another result is that the Jews became jealous and they opposed the to man and began to blast me surely speaking against Christ and the Gospel message spoken by Paul and Barnabas Paul and Barnabas in response they condemned the unbelieving Jews and they announced their intention to go to the Gentiles we also hear that as a result of the second message many Gentiles believed the weights described as poignant all who had been appointed by God believed that was appointed by God’s sovereign and merciful choice and we’re also told the word as a result began to spread through the whole region but the opposition that the from the Jews increased they incited a persecution that drove Paul and Barnabas out of this city in western Galatia and as they leave Paul and Barnabas shake the stop their feet now what’s the significance of their doing that who was commanded to shake the dust off his feet before that’s right the disciples are commanded by Jesus when they were told to preach throughout Israel and preach the gospel of repentance and let people know that the kingdom of God was near it says they don’t listen to you shake the dust off your feet now that already was an allusion to a custom of the Jews they disdained Gentiles so much and considered them unclean that they would literally shake the dust off their feet getting rid of the dust from your feet when ever they travel through Gentile lands they said oh we don’t want to bring that unclean dirt back with us but Jesus said do that for the people of Israel if they won’t listen to your message and now we see Paul and Barnabas doing it in the city of the city and Antioch specifically because the Jews would not accept the continued preaching of Paul and Barnabas so this was a this was a message to the Jews and to those who drove Paul and Barnabas out of the city Manchaca that they are as unclean as they ever would have suggested that Gentiles were and they don’t even want Paul and Barnabas don’t even want the dust of their city on their feet the last thing we’re told regarding this particular ministry stop is that the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit and what disciples are we talking about the new believers the new believers in pisidian Antioch they were filled with joy and we understand that right because when you became saying when you see anybody else get saved they are filled with joy and they’re also filled with the Holy Spirit what a great experience in the city of Antioch what a powerful movement of the Lord is it time to go home nope not yet we’ve already seen actually in our passage the next ministry site introduced and that’s the city of Iconium so let’s read about what happens there next in acts 14 verses 1 to 7 verse 1 at 14 and Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed both of Jews and of Greeks but the Jews who disbelieve stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the Brethren therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord who was testifying to the word of His grace granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands but the people the city were divided and some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers to mistreat and to stone them it became aware of it and fled to the cities of like onea lystra and derbe and the surrounding region and there they continued to preach the gospel are not as great a description as long a description for this ministry stop but where are we now when Iconium another city of Galatia this one east of where we are in the city and antia or where we where missing in Antioch what do Paul Barnabas do in this city they preach the gospel and they start in the synagogue it says that they spoke spoke boldly there a long time and they performed miracles now how long is a long time we don’t know but at least several months what was the result of their ministry in this city many Jews and Greeks believed but the Jews sword of persecution among the Gentiles toward Paul and Barnabas and the city became divided a plot even arose to stone the two missionaries and Paul Barnabas fled from that city but they continued to preach now you may have noticed that verse 4 it mentions in the division of the city some sign a bit of juice and some with the apostles plural meaning that Paul and Barnabas are both called apostles now the MacArthur Study Bible has an interesting on this detail pointing out that Barnabas does not appear to be an apostle in the same way that Paul is an apostle there are some people outside of the original 12 and Paul aware sometimes call apostles in the Bible but that the the office of apostle as occupied by the original 5 12 and by Paul it’s a very special one you had to be officially commissioned by the Lord Himself you had to see and be taught by the Lord it wasn’t something that everybody could just claimed you claim to be a part of but the word apostle just means a set one or a messenger so probably in this instance Barnabas is being called an apostles not to say that he was equal to the original 12 or Paul but that he was a sent messenger of the gospel like Paul was by the way are you noticing a pattern in the method and experience of Paul and Barnabas as they go to these different cities will come back and say something about that later on but you should be noticing this happen now verse 7 mentioned generally what Paul and Barnabas do next in terms of where they go and what they do but the next verses in the book is about earth in chapter 14 they’re gonna give us more detail let’s look now verses 8 to 20 and look at the first city that they end up fleeing to acts 14 verses 8 to 20 at Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet lame from his mother’s womb and who had who had never walked this man was listening to Paul as he spoke who when he had fixed his gaze on him and seeing that he had faith to be made well said with a loud voice stand upright on your feet and he left up and began to walk when the crowd saw what Paul had done they raised their voice saying in the lack of own ian’s language that gods have become like men and have come down to us and they began calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes because he was the chief speaker the priest of Zeus whose temple was just outside the city brought oxen and Garland’s to the gates I wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds but when the Apostle Barnabas and Paul heard of it they toured their robes and rushed out in the crowd crying out and saying men why are you doing these things we are also men of the same nature as you and preached the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them the generations gone by he permitted all the nations to go their own way and he did not leave himself without witness now he did good and gave you reigns from heaven and fruitful seasons satisfying your hearts with food and gladness even saying these things with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them but Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and having won over the crowds they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city supposing him to be dead but while the disciples stood around him he got up and entered the city the next day it went away with Barnabas to Derry where are we now on another city of Galatia called Lystra this one would be south of Iconium and you can see it on the screen what do Paul Barmes do here notice they don’t go to the synagogue back there may not have been a synagogue in that city but they perform a notable miracle they heal a lame man they also try to prevent sacrifice and they end up preaching the gospel now what do you notice is different about the Gospel message presented here versus the message we heard in Pisidia Antioch what’s different about the content or the presentation of this message yes true okay right so there’s not going sick or not I’m not summarizing the Old Testament not not rehearsing what God did with the Jews doing what we’re going to add right very good so you can see the focus here is on God is creator God as the lord of the earth the sustainer the provider right yeah boy what are you gonna say right yeah so going back to the city nan shocked that phrase you who fear God is a reference to Gentile god-fearers but here in in fourteen verses eight to twenty we are speaking to you you may have already inferred that we have a slightly different audience though Gentiles were included even in the synagogue those were those who had been attending the synagogue or at least many of them along with the Jews but these this is not a very Jewish audience the fact there might not have been hardly any Jews in the audience and there is a different a different kind of presentation focusing more on God as creator and God as the one who’s providing them good in their lives now what’s the result of this miracle and this this presentation to the people the Gentiles and Lystra well the people get really excited and they think that Paul and Barnabas are their gods that Barnabas is Zeus and Paul is Hermes now we’ve heard these names before Zeus is the chief god of the Greek pantheon but who’s Hermes the messenger God in according to you Greek mythology and they felt that was appropriate for Paul since he was the main speaker anyone offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas now this is actually pretty silly right I mean these are not gods but they’re ready to offer sacrifice to them but even though it’s kind of silly it’s also really sad because they actually believe this they believe these are their gods they’re ready to honor them as gods with sacrifice they believe this to be right they are so blind and when Paul Barnabas realized what’s happening they’d tear their clothes and they’re trying to preach a message to them to get these people to understand this is all wrong and God is giving you an opportunity to turn away from these vain things now where any saved as a result of this message here in Lystra well somewhere because there are disciples mentioned in verse 20 moreover in acts 16 we learned that Timothy and his family were living in Lystra and that Timothy became a disciple though he does not join doesn’t follow Paul at this time Paul will later pick up Timothy as a as a helper in the second missionary journey so there were Gentiles who were saved as a result of this message but Jews from Antioch and Iconium they actually travel all the way to Lystra and they turned the crowds against Paul and Barnabas so the people who had just lotted these two men as their gods then turned against them stoned Paul dragged him out of the city and thought that Paul was dead that’s a pretty quick change in public regard did Paul actually die doesn’t appear to be so Tex doesn’t mention that he died moreover when Paul rehearses his sufferings for the gospel later on in other books he never mentions that he was killed though he does mention that he was stoned it appears that God simply preserved Paul even though he endured a vicious experienced God preserved Paul’s that Paul did not die I’m sure it was very painful notice though Paul gets up and it doesn’t immediately leave the city he actually goes back in and the group leaves the next day before we move on does this experience and Lystra remind you of anything we’ve already seen in the book of Acts yeah ROM right that’s true you’re you’re thinking of how the Apostles were all imprisoned and then they were miraculously freed by the Lord and they go right back into the temple and start preaching much the Sanhedrin uh being stunned though there’s something else that’s worth pointing out we have the same kind of sequence happening earlier in the book of Acts with Peter and John next chapter three they miraculously heal a lame man there’s misplaced excitement about their healing there’s a correction applied by Peter and John as to what the crowd should be understanding and there is a opportunity taken to declare the gospel also in both instances both pairs end up being persecuted even though they win over converts what’s the main difference between these two instances though audience acts chapter 3 it was the Jews but here it’s the Gentiles get the same things happening now where to next text is gonna mention it short no it’s gonna mention briefly one other stop and verses 20 to 21 I’ll just start in the second part of verse 20 it says the next day he went led Barnabas to dare be after they preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch so one more sitting in Galatia to mention and that’s dare be this is further east in Galatia and what of the Apostles do there they preach the gospel and what’s the result they made many disciples notice there’s no specific mention of persecution or opposition in this city there still could’ve been some but it is significant that Luke doesn’t mention anything I’m inclined to think that the opposition was not as significant as in the previous cities where also would have been mentioned all now it’s time for the for Paul and Barnabus to head home but they do so with a purpose let’s read about their return trip all at once verses 21 to 28 we’ll see how they make their way back to Antioch and Syria starting in yet second half of verse 21 they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch strengthening the souls of the disciples encouraging them to continue in the faith and sing through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God when they had appointed elders for them in every church having prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed they passed their per City and came into Pamphylia when they had spoken the word in Perrigo they went down to Adalia from there they sailed to Antioch from which they had been commanded commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished when they had arrived and gathered the church together they began to report all things that God had done with them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles they spent a long time with the disciples so where did the descent taught the do the the paul and barnabas go to make their way back to Syrian Antioch they actually go back through the cities that they traveled to in Asia Minor now this is a significant choice for at least two reasons one it’s the long way home in Derby they could have just taken the eastern road that would have eventually brought them back to Antioch in Syria about a 200-mile journey they could have even swung by Tarsus Paul’s hometown in Cilicia but they don’t do that they instead choose to double back and take the 700 mile trip to Paragon Adalia and then over the sea so they take the long way and also they just it’s also significant that they choose to go back this way because these are the various cities in which they were violently persecuted then go back there they don’t go back though to Cyprus they don’t travel back to the island and what a pollen bottom is do as they travel back through these cities they strengthen and encourage the new disciples they especially exhort them to persevere through tribulation Paul Bart must know a thing or two about that they appointed elders know elders plural they appointed elders in every Church in every city they fasted they pray they commended the believers to Jesus Christ he also spoke the word in Perrigo which is interesting because it doesn’t seem like they did that the first time around but they do it on their way back and then they travel to their home city Antioch and reported all that God had done among the Gentiles what they described as opening a door of faith and what’s the result of this not stated explicitly but we can infer these new Christian communities these new churches these local assemblies of believers they were strengthened given leadership and were encouraged and certainly the church in Syrian Antioch was encouraged to hear that all got all that God had done so this is Paul’s and Barnabas is first missionary journey let’s collect now our observations and bring up some interpretation questions first which regions in some make up Paul’s first missionary journey Asia Minor but what part of Asia Minor the region known as Galatia and we can summarize the first missionary journey was basically to Cyprus Pamphylia there’ll be southern South Central Asia Minor and Galicia and we want to kind of note this there compared and contrasted to where he goes the other missionary journeys but this one was basically to Cyprus in Galatia how long was this missions trip well we can’t say for sure but it must have been long remember that travel at this time in the ancient world though is better than usual because of the pox Romana that is the peace and order and security established by the Roman Empire it still took a long time you traveled by boat by animal or by foot so going from city to city especially if it was overland it took days if not weeks to get there and then as Paul and Barnabus travel to these different cities they would spend the considerable amount of time in each one the total travel distance that these missionaries endure was probably around 1300 to 1500 miles by land and by sea it’s not unreasonable to expect that this whole trip travel time and ministry time put together it probably took about two years two years of continual ministry that is quite an investment of time energy and endurance from Paul and Barnabas and it might have been part of the reason why John Mark left he didn’t sign up for something quite so arduous so why did they do it why spend all that blood sweat and tears why make the sacrifice it has to be because they wanted to glorify Christ certainly they had to be obedient to God’s Spirit which said hey I’ve set you apart to a ministry they had a duty to go but they also wanted to go they want to be faithful as stewards of what was given to them not only as Christians but also as those equipped to teach they wanted to see Gentiles rescued from their vain way of life that was going to lead to their destruction and they they did it because they knew it was all worth it I know Paul in his letters he speaks more at length about why gospel ministry is so wonderful and a privilege he says in 1st Timothy 1 verses 12 to 13 you remember we’ve talked about these verses lately Paul says I think Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me because he considered me faithful putting me into service even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor and Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 5 verses 11 to 15 second Corinthians five verse 11:15 therefore knowing the feared the Lord we persuade men but we are made manifest to God and I hope that we are made manifest also in your conscience is or you’re not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart for if we are beside ourselves it is for God if we are of sound mind it is for you for the love of Christ controls us having concluded this that one died for all therefore all died and he died for all so that they might live so that they who live might no longer live in himself sorry may he live my no longer live for themselves but for him who died and rose again on their behalf there’s more there about will doesn’t stop what Paul says there you can see that Paul saw Great Commission ministry as the natural outcome of Christ saving him everything that natural outcome of Christ saving any believer any believer once he’s saved once he’s encountered Christ he should want to see others save to see Christ exalted it’s for God’s glory and for others eternal good this is what motivated them to go what was the result of their ministry some believed new churches were established in these various cities of Cyprus in Asia Minor but there was also opposition and persecution now how many people believed we see many times the text it says many believe but many is a relative term no specific numbers are mentioned unlike maybe earlier in the book of Acts excuse me a second we do see some details maybe give us a little bit of an idea the disciples in Lystra were apparently small enough the number was small enough that they could gather around Paul after he had been stoned on the other hand the word is said to have spread from presidio to the whole region so how many people are we talking about my guess and this is not inspired this is just my estimate there were definitely scores saved probably a couple hundred maybe one to two thousand it’s hard to say but no matter the specific number it was an amazing and gracious work of God to many many who were previously whether Jew or Gentile utterly lost without Christ and what was Paul Barnabas general method to bringing the gospel to a certain area I think we saw it right they start in a synagogue if there is one they preach there until Jewish opposition becomes too great then they depart and preach to the Gentiles and they stay in the city until it’s too dangerous to stay there anymore or they often stay until it’s too dangerous to stay and then they leave now why start with the Jews yeah Duane yeah that’s a good good answer Dwayne we certainly see that it corresponds to a theological pattern as it’s really demonstrated by Christ and throughout the book of Acts that the gospel is given first of the Jews as God’s chosen people as the ones who had had been originally given the Oracles of God and then it was given to the Gentiles well there is a practical reason for this – if the Apostles started with the Gentiles the Jews would never listen but they had an opportunity with the Jews because they were Jews themselves they could go to the synagogues so they start there now once once that opportunity had been used once the Jews had either believed or rejected then they turn to the Gentiles but both both are given the message because both become equal heirs in God’s salvation by faith now do note do note that really what their missions trip was all about was preaching the gospel I mean we see it over and over and again in the text right that’s not the only thing they do they do also do some miracles but the far and away priority of the of the missionaries of Paul Barnabas is to preach the gospel this is instructive for us especially as there’s a greater and greater movement today in missions to do social work it’s not Paul but Paul and Barnabas going to a certain City and just being do-gooders no they are preaching the gospel now how did their approach that in terms of preaching the gospel how did it change based on the audience we noted this to the to the Jews they started with the Old Testament they showed the promises of the prophets fulfilled in Christ to the Gentiles they started with creation and they talked about God’s provision still evident in the world but both of these approaches end up going to the same place an excitation to repentance from sin and the vanity of idolatry and return to God through Christ we’re going to see this more as we continue to save you the book of Acts now what does this missionary journey show us first of all what’s to show us about we’re running a little bit short on time so I’ll answer these myself we see that if God is the one who’s open this door then it is his power at work God is powerful to save I mean think about how could any of these people have turned otherwise this governor Cyprus these barbarians he’s Hellenized the barians in Galatia why would they ever believe it’s because God is powerful to save us to see that God is so merciful generous gracious what love to send out these apostles and cause the message to be brought to those who were in darkness that is God’s love and we see that God is faithful providing for Paul – even through many days of hard ministry we see also this missionary journeys missionary journey shows us something about missions and about declaring the gospel it’s costly it takes time it takes effort takes pain it takes exposure to danger it requires prayer notice the praying and fasting that goes on in the text it’s going to be opposed even irrationally because of the darkness hates the light but it’s also possible the Lord provides it it does have an effect and it’s worth it consider the new life the joy the amazement brought about in these Gentile converts as they behold Christ Gentile and Jew converts this missionary journey also shows us something about Gentile inclusion in the church it shows us basically that Gentiles are included they currently are a part of Christ Church they do genuinely belong I mean consider God’s Spirit command at the journey God’s Spirit blessed the ministry God’s Spirit validated the ministry with signs and wonders and validated the person Paul who ends up just being like her who ends up being just like Peter and even just like Christ there is a pattern in the book of Acts we first see that Peter and John two Peter ends up doing me the same things that Jesus was doing confirming Peter as an apostle of Christ but then we see Paul achieving mein the same things that Peter was doing yes there’s almost like a parallel in terms of what Luke reports to us and this is all for a purpose to show that Paul and Peter are true apostles of Christ both both of those men were faithful Proclaimers of Christ’s gospel and as Paul as a missionary to the Gentiles and to proclaim our Abascal to the Gentiles his message is true is not an aberration that he just came up with because this is what the Judaizers andother would say oh he came up with this thing by himself Gentiles are not really included they have to become Jews Luke shows us no Paul is a true apostle paul’s messages the true gospel therefore Gentiles truly do belong in Christ Church and we’re going to see this underscored of course in the Jerusalem Council and acts 15 so what we’ve seen today is God’s first gracious Gentile harvest using his chosen instrument the Apostle Paul seen a few Gentiles say before this but nothing like this before a wide door open to the Gentiles now this is not the only time Paul’s gonna go out on a journey like this next time we’ll look at the second missionary journey and the first foray of Paul into Europe but we need to consider application as we close oh really short on time but I’ll mention just a few things to you to couple questions to consider first when we do evangelism and missions should we do exactly what Paul did well yes and no certainly Paul is an example to us boldness his compassion is his priority of proclaiming the gospel his faith is perseverance but we need not do everything that he did exactly let us remember that the book of Acts is a history and therefore it is descriptive and not always prescriptive does not necessarily true that each of us should go into a synagogue first when we’re preaching the gospel in a certain city but that was an application of what valid gospel ministry looks like Paul is a great example to us but we’re not necessarily gonna follow everything that he did exactly we do see general principles though exemplified by Paul and Barnabus the question do you actually believe that you will see both responses that Paul and Barnabas did in your own witness so I think so often we expect one and not the other oh I’m gonna be opposed but no one’s gonna believe or everyone’s gonna believe and I won’t be opposed when we think only one in the other we often get discouraged when we oh we often get discouraged but we need to expect both because it is the power of God not our own power that brings about salvation and that causes the opposition from the darkness that hates the light so do you actually believe that do you believe that God can actually use you to save people but that there will be opposition and then finally Paul and Barnabas pursued gospel work far from their own country and far from even their home church because they saw a great need among the Gentiles and they saw that they were equipped to help them so what about you what about each of you at Calvary are you concerned with the salvation of people even far off people it is good for you to be concerned about the salvation of your friends your family and coworkers but what about the world our Commission was to go into all the world there are people in deep darkness great need hungry for the gospel what are you doing to help the gospel get to them might you be one to go to them would you love Christ and the lost in that way all of us have special roles to fulfill when it comes to the Great Commission what is yours how has God specially prepared fitted and equipped you and how are you using what God gave you to see the world saved will you go will you faithfully support and pray for those who go well you give so that others can go will you encourage and instruct and equip men and women so that they can go don’t give up this eternally profitable privilege and joy to serve Christ due to lack of faith what is your role in seeing the Great Commission fulfilled remember it’s not really about you it’s about the power of God in you to save even unexpectedly to his glory well that’s it for this week if you have other comments or questions you can email me afterwards let’s pray our Great God thank you for opening a door to the Gentiles Lord that all people if they believe in your wonderful son Jesus Christ they will be saved God I pray that you’d fill us fill the people with a love with a conviction with a joy that just wants to see others freed from darkness who wants to see you glorified God you were so loving and generous it is your desire to see people say you love to see people say I pray that that would be the same thing and each one of our hearts I pray to you equip us first God we know that in ourselves we are not able to do this but you are able and you give us the ability would help us to believe you to to be faithful to walk by faith in Jesus name Amen all right thank you all now see or I might not be next week cuz I’m not sure for having some new school for Easter but I will see you again soon